New guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urging children to get coronavirus vaccines to attend school have sparked a polarized response from the country’s governors.
The Republican chief executive has heavily condemned the voluntary guidelines and promised to stop school districts from adopting coronavirus vaccinations as a prerequisite for attendance.
“Under my supervision, there is no mandatory COVID vaccine for children — period,” said R-Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. “In fact, we signed a law to prevent it. It’s a parental decision, not a governmental decision.”
Other Republican governors were quick to denounce the idea as well. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is seen as a frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said the vaccine may not be suitable for young children given the relatively new nature of the coronavirus vaccine. even claimed.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Says No COVID Vaccine Mandate for Children
“I get excited when people compare[measles, mumps, rubella immunizations]to what’s been around for decades,” DeSantis said. “These are the new shots.”
Earlier this week, the CDC decided to add coronavirus vaccinations to its children’s vaccine program. Including this does not make the vaccination mandatory for children, but adds it to the list of recommended vaccinations provided by the CDC to physicians.
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Republican governors fear the guidelines will be widely adopted by school districts across the country.
“We will never force COVID-19 vaccines on Idahoans of all ages, especially children,” said R-Idaho Gov. Brad Little. “As long as I am governor, that decision will only be made by parents, families, and individual citizens.”
Democratic chief executives have taken a different route. Many are largely silent about the new guidelines. Of his 22 Democratic governors contacted by Fox News Digital Friday for their positions on the topic, he asked only three for comment.
Some, like Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of California, said the new guidelines were voluntary and would not have an immediate impact on children and parents.
A Newsom spokesperson said, “The primary impact of the CDC’s recommendations is that health insurers will need to cover the cost of immunizations so the federal government can continue to provide free immunizations to low-income households. “It’s interesting that Republican states are criticizing this because schools already have compulsory vaccinations for chickenpox, polio, and measles.”
Still, others took a quieter stance. Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills said she would not ask the state legislature to make vaccines mandatory for children.
“Maine has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country. COVID-19 vaccine requirements for Maine children require approval from the state legislature,” a Mills spokesperson told Fox News Digital. told to
“While the governor will continue to encourage Maine people to get vaccinated, there are no plans to ask Congress to require children to be vaccinated against COVID-19.”
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Democratic Governor Jared Polis of Colorado took a similar position, telling Fox News Digital that he has no plans to mandate coronavirus vaccinations to attend school.
“The Colorado Board of Health typically makes these decisions and [the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment] We are not recommending any additional requirements,” a Police spokesperson said. “The governor supports this recommendation.”
Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.